How does Willow Glen differ from Cambrian or Almaden Valley? (San Jose: fit in, houses)

[simplecharm]

We recently relocated from Seattle and the valley is so overwhelming. We're in temporary corporate housing in Cupertino and knew from the day we arrived this wasn't the town for us. Sadly, many people don't look at us or say hi. We're hoping to find this more often in other surrounding towns.

How does Willow Glen differ from Cambrian or Almaden Valley for families with young children in Silicon Valley?

Thanks in advance for your honest replies.

[AA702]

I grew up in the Cupertino area and it has changed a lot! If you have kids, it has one of the best school districts. The city is mostly asian now and the culture has changed since I was a kid. It use to be a regular town that had no real downtown, but had some really down to earth people that I grew up with. You kinda knew everyone. Because of the high cost of living, housing, etc.. I dont even know a soul that lives there now when I come visit. Kinda sad..

Willow Glen, Cambrian and Almaden are good choices, but they are also expensive and I'm not sure if your going to get away from the "many people don't look at us or say hi" mentality. I think everyone is so busy that they dont have time to socialize outside their own circles.

[krudmonk]

Willow Glen is more "small town" while the other are "suburban." That makes WG residents a bit more haughty.

[kdog]

Willow Glen is an older community, and so is the Cambrian area. However, the Cambrian area is less affluent and doesn't have the charm of WG. Willow Glen is more affluent.

Almaden is newer, particularly south Almaden, at the end of the Almaden Expressway. The homes are generally on larger lots, and I think you'll find the pace just a bit slower out there and the folks a bit more friendly. There are good schools in Almaden as well. The Almaden Quicksilver Park is an excellent place for hiking with terrific views of the Valley. There are several lakes as you head south down Uvas Rd towards Morgan Hill. The bicycling out that way is excellent as well. There are also some nice creek trails you can walk to. Of course, you pay for that extra bit of isolation with little longer commute into the valley. So if you like life more urban, WG may be for you. If you like things just a bit slower paced and more rural, you ought to check out south Almaden.

[simplecharm]

Thanks so much for the valuable feedback. We really appreciate it.

[mysticaltyger]

Just to chime in....I live in Willow Glen. It does have a lot of older houses with "character". It is pretty affluent and has a cute little downtown. It is closer to San Jose's downtown than the other 2 neighbhorhoods.

Cambrian covers a fairly large area to the south & west of Willow Glen. The houses are generally on larger lots. It is generally a pleasant and well maintained area but less "upscale" and with less character than Willow Glen. That said, I find Cambrian to be more pleasant and less "cookie cutter" in character than many parts of San Jose.

Almaden Valley is a generally aflluent area. Larger houses on larger lots. There are some amazingly expensive houses built on the back end of the Santa Teresa Hills. Suburban in character. Probably San Jose's most expensive in terms of housing. Willow Glen is a close 2nd. You probably pay less per square foot in Almaden Valley, but as I said, the houses and lots are larger. Almaden Valley does have San Jose's best schools, I think.

Cupertino is very Asian and all the stores cater to that...so if you're not Asian, you don't really feel like you fit in.

[Palindromed]

The key to Willow Glen is that there is much more of a community feel to it. Its not a cheap neighborhood as there are pockets of older estate homes from the 1930's. Architecturally, it is well planned and thought out with Lincoln Avenue as being the main thoroughfare with small boutique shops. I would rate it one of the best communities San Jose has. Its classy, has character.

The Cambrian area is does not have much sex appeal to it. Its rather bland looking. Not much to say about it other than it cost less to live there than Willow Glen.

Almaden Valley is more expensive than both, is more modernized, and has more open space to it. However, expect cookie cutter homes scrunched together on newer developments. I would suggest buying an older home in Almaden if you can afford $1M+ but the commute sucks as there are no major freeways/highways in the area and is to the far south of San Jose. Willow Glen is more toward the inner core of San Jose and offers better commutes in all directions. Also, there isn't a town per se like Willow Glen.

I would choose Willow Glen over Almaden if you want to be involved with the community.